This is a wonderful little set and I enjoy getting it out every Christmas. The individual builds for each of the 24 Advent days are nice, well-thought-out and satisfying to build. The frustrating part is that in order to build each consecutive day, you must disassemble and reuse the parts from the previous day build. You can remove some parts and reconfigure each model somewhat to have missing pieces, but after a few days it is impossible and you must completely dismantle the older models.

So this year I did something different.. I took careful inventory of each extra part needed to build all 24 models. Then after creating a parts list, I used Brickowl to purchase all the necessary extra parts.

It came out to 164 total extra parts, and totalled $16.52 including shipping.

Now Christmas 2021 I will be able to keep each individual Advent character fully built and displayed together for all 24 days!

Call me sentimental but I get so excited every year with the prospect of new Lego Christmas sets, especially the freebies. This years's Christmas build-up was my first set of this kind and I began salivating after seeing it on offer. No sooner had I unwrapped it, than my enthusiasm began to dwindle... (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Don't get me wrong - it's a beautifully packaged set (Ideas style box) with a thick instruction manual - it feels like a high-end product. Once you start browsing the builds, you begin to realise something is slightly off because after each model, the manual instructs you to disassemble your build to be able to continue. After building a couple of builds you notice some can coexist without disassembling providing the parts are not needed elsewhere.

My original plan was to use the set to expand my winter diorama as there's always room for more minibuilds. I'm no master builder but I think I've got some experience. However, it was a tough job to create something substantial and relatively minifig-scaled (and respecting the traditional Christmas palette obviously). It seems almost like a bad luck charm that
the parts you need the most came in odd numbers, so you just keep swapping for other less suitable ones. Unfortunately very few traditional bricks are included - e.g. no 1x4s and only one 2x4. In the end I managed to create a so so Christmas stand which is far from beautiful but it's not a complete eyesore.

If you're a builder and MOCer, you might get disappointed. If it's a gift for your children, I imagine they will build a couple of things before leaving for something more exciting. Mind you, there are so many tiny parts, it's not really suitable for younger kids. The design of each build is a matter of personal taste but I'm positive you will find something to your liking.

So is it just a glorified spare parts pack? Maybe it is but with one important advantage, it's for free. And you know the old adage - Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. It's likely a better deal than the Advent calendar. However, if you're thinking about buying one on the secondary market, I would honestly think twice.